BUAV welcomes European Chemicals Agency further improvements to transparency

BUAV welcomes European Chemicals Agency further improvements to transparency

13/12/2012

The BUAV is delighted to hear that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has made a big step forward in improving the transparency of its decision making. The Agency announced today that it will publish non-confidential versions of all its compliance check and testing proposal decisions. This follows other recent improvements to the ECHA database in which the names of chemical companies registering chemicals along with the production volumes of the substance is also being made public.

The BUAV, along with our colleagues in the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), have been providing scientific comments on proposals to test on animals since the start of the process in 2009 and has been asking the Agency to publish its final decisions on whether these tests have to go ahead. It is important that we know the outcome of such decisions to determine not only how the Agency views animal testing but also whether our comments have been successful in preventing animal tests from taking ahead. The Agency also sometimes asks for new animal tests when checking the registration dossiers of chemicals (compliance check). We have been monitoring these decisions at the Member State Committee meeting. However, we are prevented from reporting on the final decisions made in this meetings so this further transparency is welcomed. The ECEAE will now begin analysing the decisions and assessing our success in helping prevent some of these animal tests.

Dr Katy Taylor, senior science advisor to the BUAV says: “We are delighted that the Agency has now agreed to publish the decisions that are being made with regards to tests on animals. The ECEAE has been requesting this since the start of the process and we are pleased the Agency has recognised that it is important for us and other stakeholders to not only see but understand their decision making.”